Study of Occupational Stress and Coping Strategies Among Primary School Teachers in Taraba State

Occupational stress among primary school teachers affects their professional effectiveness, mental health, and retention in the teaching profession, and contextualised evidence on stress sources and coping strategies in North East Nigeria is needed for targeted support. This study assessed occupational stress levels and coping strategies among primary school teachers in Jalingo Local Government Area, Taraba State, North East Nigeria. A descriptive survey was conducted among 200 primary school teachers using stratified random sampling from 20 government primary schools. The Teacher Occupational Stress Inventory and Brief COPE Inventory were administered. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics and Pearson correlation. Results showed that 64.5 percent of teachers reported moderate to high occupational stress. Primary stress sources were large class sizes (79.5 percent), irregular salary payment (74.0 percent), poor school infrastructure (68.5 percent), and student behaviour problems (61.5 percent). Active coping (problem-focused strategies) was used significantly more by teachers with lower stress scores (r = -0.38, p < 0.001), while avoidant coping was associated with higher stress (r = 0.41, p < 0.001). Teachers with more than ten years of experience showed lower stress scores than early-career teachers. Only 19.0 percent of schools had any form of staff welfare or counselling support. The study recommends establishment of teacher support and counselling services, professional development workshops on stress management, and advocacy for improved teacher welfare conditions in Taraba State. Keywords: occupational stress, primary school teachers, coping strategies, Taraba State, teacher wellbeing